


As Simple as Friendship

by yuletide_archivist



Category: Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2008-12-19
Updated: 2008-12-19
Packaged: 2018-01-25 07:42:37
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,630
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1639496
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/yuletide_archivist/pseuds/yuletide_archivist
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Story by Morgan37</p><p>The most uncomplicated aspect of the lives of Butch, Sundance and Etta is their friendship.</p>
            </blockquote>





	As Simple as Friendship

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you to my two betas for their help and support!
> 
> Written for Petra LeMaitre

 

 

"Miss Etta! Wherefore art thou, beautiful lady?" 

Etta looked up from her sewing to find Butch Cassidy and Sundance standing at the foot of her porch steps. She smiled brightly as she jumped up, swung the screen door open and stepped outside. Butch placed his bowler hat solemnly over his heart before reaching over and taking her hand.

"My lips, two blushing pilgrims, ready stand, to smooth that rough touch with a tender kiss." He turned her hand over and placed a small kiss on her wrist. "Or it goes something like that." He grinned. 

As Etta laughed and dragged up him the stairs, she couldn't help noticing how callused and weather-beaten his hands were. Times were tough for a rogue like her Butch, but you could always rely on that good-natured charm and easy smile. She stood up on tiptoe, threw her arms around his neck and gave him a kiss on the cheek. "Mr. Cassidy, when are you going to make an honest woman outta me?"

"Etta, there ain't enough hours in the day." Butch began to whistle as he turned around and wandered wearily into the house. 

Etta watched him leave, shaking her head. It was hard to believe that a man so affable and charming could be one of the most infamous outlaws in all Wyoming. 

On the other hand, perhaps that was what made him so well-known.

If Butch made her feel like the Queen of Wyoming, the Sundance Kid was the one who made her blood run wild. 

"I'll tell you something' teacher lady, you ain't so bad." Sundance's voice was husky. He caught Etta around her waist, crushing her body against his own and kissing her hard. He slowly drew back, but not so much so she couldn't feel his breath against her lips as he spoke. "On the outside, all stiff and starchy, but on the inside, you're not so bad." 

Butch hung out the window, interrupting their romantic interlude. "Well Kid, are you gonna ask her?"

Etta looked at Sundance quizzically as he shepherded her into the house. He didn't say a word as he and Butch sat down and she tended to their meal. 

Butch spoke first. "We were talking last night, Etta. And the Kid and me, well we reckon it's about time we obtained some extra income." 

Etta threw him a smile as she ladled food onto their plates and passed them around. "The Flyer?"

Sundance grabbed Etta's hand and dragged her down on to his lap. "Not this time. Tell her your idea, Butch."

Butch sat back in his chair, arms folded. "Well, word is that there's a cattle conglomerate operating up north. A place called Pleasant Valley." 

"But you haven't rustled cattle in ages! You and Sundance couldn't carry out a job like that on your own".

"Well this isn't rustling exactly Etta." Butch leaned into the table as if he were about to reveal a big secret. "When you think about it, a large cattle company would need plenty of hands to make it operate smoothly." He jabbed his forefinger against the tablecloth as he spoke. "This would have to mean a big payroll, which in turn means an opportunity for a couple of enterprising young fellas like us to earn a little bit extra." 

"Besides, I promised that nice sheriff fella -- Mr. Bledsoe -- that I wouldn't participate in or plan anymore thieving here in Wyoming and I am nothing, if not a man of my word." Butch picked up his spoon and started shovelling food into his mouth, allowing Sundance to take over. 

"Butch and I figured we'd travel up to Pleasant Valley for a night or two - see if the financial return would be worth the fellas travelling that far." 

Butch interrupted. "You gotta plan more these days, Etta."

Sundance concentrated on twisting his fingers in Etta's skirt before speaking. "Butch also figured that maybe you could come along; a woman would help give us a little respectability." He looked at her through those long eyelashes. 

Etta sighed dramatically. "Well I suppose in the interests of keeping you two respectable..."

* * *

"Eyes like the morning star, cheeks like a rose, Etta was a pretty girl, God almighty knows."

With Butch's toneless drone ringing across the countryside, and Sundance's arm around her shoulders, Etta felt quietly content. 

Butch reined the horses in and looked at his partner. "What do you think, Kid? There's a water hole over there."

Sundance sat up, shoving his hat onto the back of his head. "Be dark soon, and the horses could sure use a rest. Might as well let `em have a soaking while we're at it." 

Butch jumped off the cart and turned to help Etta down. 

Sundance started throwing their rucksacks and equipment down to the ground. 

"Wouldya watch it! My best bowler hat is in there!" Butch looked up, hands on hips, only to be hit in the head with Etta's valise.

They set up camp for the night, with Butch slinging a tent up between two trees. He eyed the sky. "Ya know, it looks like its gonna be a clear night." 

Etta started dinner, letting the oats simmer slowly, watching as the two men led the exhausted horses to the water. She laughed as Butch made a wisecrack, resulting in Sundance dumping him in the water, which led to Butch's own retaliation. 

She hummed to herself, breathing in the sweet-smelling air. It had been a long while since she had felt at peace like this.

She jumped as Sundance came from behind and wrapped his arms around her. She could feel his strong, muscular chest through his soaked cotton shirt. He leaned in and whispered in her ear. "There ain't anyone watching if you happen to remove your stockings, teacher-lady." He tugged at her hand and she allowed him to lead her over to the edge of the water hole, Butch watching them go.

With Sundance's help, she shrugged out of her outer garments. The she sat on the bank in her petticoat, dipping her long, slender legs through the water, sighing with pleasure as the cool water soothed her aching muscles. "Will you keep an eye on dinner, so it doesn't burn?"

* * *

They polished off their meals, and Butch lay back on his elbows, sighing with contentment. "You look after us too well, Etta." 

Sundance shuffled across the blanket to make room for Etta, opting to lie out on his side propped up on one elbow. He stretched and let out a contented grunt. "I'm getting' too old for all this travellin'."

"Hmm." 

Etta saw Sundance eyeing Butch by the light of the lamp. She wondered what he saw when he looked at his partner. She felt a small pang of sympathy as she caught the weariness in the older man's eyes: he wasn't getting any younger, either, and they'd chosen a hard life.

"Probably get into the Valley by tomorrow afternoon." Butch said.

"Probably." Etta heard thunder rolling in the distance.

"Oh yeah, what happened to our clear night?" Sundance extinguished his cigarette in the dirt and stood up, just as the rain started to fall.

Butch tipped his hat back and allowed the drops to splash on to his face. "Doesn't the rain just make everything feel so peaceful and easy."

Sundance rolled his eyes. "Not particularly". He wandered off into some scrub to answer a call of nature, leaving Butch and Etta to make a quick dash to the tent.

When they were safely inside, Etta reached forward and began to help Butch with the buttons of his shirt. 

"Coupla old outlaws like us don't deserve you, Etta," his voice was soft and sincere.

When they were down to their undergarments, Butch closed his eyes and lay back, placing his head in her lap, wincing as he rubbed his forehead with one hand.

"Does it hurt?" she asked.

He shrugged. "Too much sun, maybe."

As Etta bent over him, soothingly stroking the graying hairs at his temples, she wondered what might have happened had she met Butch first. He didn't inspire in her the hot-blooded passion that Sundance did, but, he had a quiet almost romantic sweetness that made him so dear to her. As if Butch could hear her thoughts, he moved his head sideways and kissed the palm of her hand, before daring to lift up and place a small kiss on the side of her mouth.

"You tryin' to steal my partner, Etta?" Sundance crawled through the opening of the canvas.

"Whatever you reckon, Kid." Butch kept his eyes shut, smiling slightly, murmuring in pleasure as Etta continued administering to his aching head.

"I reckon you think too much."

When Sundance was ready, Etta extinguished the lamp and they lay side by side by side. There was nothing to hear but the rain.

"You know, we could go to South America. I hear there are plenty of cattle rustlin' opportunities. Or maybe we could head to Argentina." Butch's voice broke the silence.

"God, would you knock it off!" Sundance rose up and leaned over Etta to silence him with a punch in his side. 

Butch's movement was so quick; it seemed to catch Sundance a little off-guard. Butch grabbed him by his long johns and pulled him closer, right across Etta, leaving Sundance's body pressed tight to her own.

What resulted next didn't have the smooth grace of Sundance pulling a six-shooter, but it sent a flare of heat through her as she learned that Butch had some hot-blooded passion of his own, as he tasted the heat and cheap whiskey of his partner. When they broke apart and turned to her, she eagerly leaned in to taste that sweetness for herself.

Plans could wait for tomorrow.

 


End file.
